Chapter 3 ---- Unexpected

"Naruto-kun. Naruto-kun, I was thinking that you might be Naruto-kun when I met you earlier!" Sakura said very excitedly.

Sasuke got up and said, "Hey, Naruto. Long time no see."

"Oh , Sasuke! Sorry about that. Haha. Long time no see," Naruto said and pulled Sasuke up. "Let's get out of this rain first."

"You can come to my place," Sasuke said squinting his eyes to keep the rain from getting into them.

Sakura and Naruto ran after Sasuke and came to his apartment. It was neatly organized inside. Sasuke invited them in and brought them some towels. After they dried themselves, they sat down around the small wooden table in from of the TV and started talking.

"I'm so surprised. You guys look really different," Sakura said looking at both of them.

"I know…I mean it's been eight years," Naruto said scratching his head.

"But when we are back together, it feels like it's only been a little while," Sasuke said.

"Naruto-kun, are you playing soccer?" Sakura asked.

"Ah no. I go to the police academy," he said. Sasuke and Sakura looked at him. He was wearing a collared shirt and a pair of trousers.

"I thought---" Sasuke said.

"I know, I said I didn't want to go into the police business, but I decided to because I like saving people and promoting justice," Naruto said triumphantly.

"I remember you were that kind of person," Sakura said.

"I see you're a college student," Naruto said.

"Law school," Sasuke added and looked at Sakura. Sakura smiled and nodded.

"How about you, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked.

"I go to a technology institute but I also work at a hardware shop. I can do work fine but I still need to have college education for my future," Sasuke answered.

"You were always like that, too. You guys haven't changed much after all. Just the looks. You both look handsome," Sakura said.

Naruto blushed and scratched his head. Sasuke also blushed and smiled. "You look nice, too," Sasuke said. "Of course, dummy!" Naruto hit Sasuke on the head. Sakura laughed.

After their reunion at Sasuke's apartment, Naruto and Sakura headed out.

"It stopped raining," Sakura said looking up at the sky. Naruto observed her face from the side. Her face looked serene and reserved.

"Sakura---"

"Naruto, you left your cell phone," Sasuke said looking out from his second floor window. Naruto looked up.

"Oh, yeah. I'm coming," he said. "I'll be back," he told Sakura and went into the building.

Sakura looked at the window. Sasuke was no longer there. She touched her hair and played with it a little.

Upsttairs, Naruto came to Sasuke's apartment. Sasuke was waiting at the door.

"Here," he handed the cell phone to Naruto.

"Thanks," Naruto said and looked at Sasuke.

There was an awkward moment of silence.

"Well, see you later," Naruto said.

"Yeah, nice seeing you again, Naruto," Sasuke said.

Sakura, outside, was thinking about this incredible occurrence. Sasuke's appearance had changed greatly and it still surprised her. She had always admired his hardworking character. On the other hand, Naruto did not change as much in terms of appearance. They had matured in their own way. Sakura thought of the past.

Flashback---

"Heh-Heh! It's the biggest beetle I've ever caught!" Naruto said showing off an insect.

"That's not a beetle, Naruto. It's an antlion," Sasuke said as he lifted his eyes off the technology book.

Sakura laughed at the scene.

---

"Sakura-chan, why are you crying?" Sasuke asked Sakura.

"My tamagotchi (virtual pet on an egg shaped computer) is dying," Sakura managed to tell him.

"Here, let me see," Sasuke said. Sakura handed him the egg. Sasuke started fixing it. Sakura watched intently as he carefully handled it.

Beep---

"Here you go, it's working now," Sasuke gave it back to Sakura.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun! Thank you so much!" Sakura thanked him.

----

"Look!" Sakura shouted as she pointed at a box floating down the river with a puppy in it. Sasuke and Naruto looked down from the bridge.

"We have to do something!" Sakura panicked.

"I'll go get him," Naruto said decidedly. Sakura and Sasuke looked at him. Naruto ran to the side of the river and started swimming towards the box.

"Naruto-kun! Be careful!" Sakura shouted from the bridge.

"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted with her.

After five minutes, Naruto reached the shore.

"Phew. That was some exercise," he said. The puppy whined.

Sakura and Sasuke sighed.

End of the flash back---

"Sakura." Naruto came out of the building.

Sakura turned around and smiled.

"I'll walk you back. It's kind of dark," he said.

"Oh ok," Sakura said.

Naruto escorted her back to her apartment.

"Thanks, Naruto-kun. We should get together again soon."

"Of course. We'll call," he said.

The next day, Sakura was walking back to her apartment. It was close to five o'clock.

"Wow, it's already five. I was working on my power point for 2 hours," Sakura thought as she looked at her watch.

When she reached home, she thought about what happened yesterday.

"I can't believe I really met them," Sakura said and smiled almost doubting the truth.

Ring-ring-ring----

Her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Sakura. It's me. Naruto."

"Oh hi, Naruto-kun."

"Do you want to come over to Minami Café at 6:30? I asked Sasuke to come, too."

"Minami Café? Ok. That's exciting."

"I'll see you there!"

"Ok, bye."

Sakura looked at the clock. It was 5:30. She opened her laptop and started her Power Point program. Then, she realized that she had left the floppy disk at her college's computer lab. The presentation was coming up in two days. The café was only a block from her college. She decided to go get it.

She went into the computer lab and successfully got her floppy disk.

"Good, now I can just head to the café early," she put the disk in her pocket and walked out of the school. As she passed by a tavern, she thought she heard someone. She stopped. There was an alley building the tavern and another building. It was long and she could not see the end of it because it was dark.

"No!" A man shouted.

Sakura gasped.

"Something must be happening," she thought. She looked around but there weren't many people. She went into the alley and when she reached the middle of it, there was an open area. She stopped and hesitated to go on. She felt an unnatural atmosphere. She held Naruto's alarm key chain tightly and stepped forward. There, she saw a dead body lying in a pool of blood.

She gasped and activated the alarm unconsciously. Suddenly, she found a man looking at her from a distance away in the alley. He started running towards her. Sakura turned around and started running. As she came out of the alley, she bumped into someone.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" It was Naruto.

"I saw…I saw a dead body..," Sakura started crying. Naruto held her tightly in his arms. "Let's call the police."

Sasuke arrived at the café and saw Naruto and Sakura half a block away.

Author Note: That was chapter 3. I hope you liked it. Chapter 4 is coming up. Please let me know your thoughts on the chapter. I appreciate your comments and enjoy reading them!