Disclaimer- Yes! I admit it! I own Naruto! Let the law suites begin! -lawyers poke author with a long stick- Fine! I own nothing. Except my ipod, which I will fight with my life for.

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I did see Gaara the next day. And the next, and the next, and then next.

For two weeks he followed me during the day, then showed up at my apartment at night. Never speaking. He just sat in one spot while I did my daily rituals. It was quite unnerving.

At least before I actually saw him, he would talk to me. We shared every thought, hope, and dream. What changed? I don't think I'll ever understand.

I think stress is starting to get to me. After two weeks of not talking to your best friend can do that. No one to dump all your emotional garbage on. Having everything bottled up inside. It starts to show in ways you don't want it too.

But what is stress anyway?

The stress response of the body is meant to protect and support us. To maintain stability or homeostasis, the body is constantly adjusting to its surroundings. When a physical or mental event threatens this equilibrium, we react to it. This process is often referred to as the "fight or flight response." We prepare for physical action in order to confront or flee a threat.

I want to thank Kakashi for making me read all the books he could find on Physiology.

Physical action? Well, maybe just a little bit. I don't think the root that tripped me the other day will never be the same again after my yelling lecture. I mean, come on. I yelled at a root!

Yes, it was time to take a closer look into the symptoms of stress.

Physical symptoms of being under stress.

sleep disturbances

back, shoulder or neck pain

tension or migraine headaches

upset or acid stomach, cramps, heartburn, gas, irritable bowel syndrome

constipation, diarrhea

weight gain or loss, eating disorders

hair loss

muscle tension

fatigue

high blood pressure

irregular heartbeat, palpitations

asthma or shortness of breath

chest pain

sweaty palms or hands

cold hands or feet

skin problems (hives, eczema, psoriasis, tics, itching)

periodontal disease, jaw pain

reproductive problems

immune system suppression: more colds, flu, infections

growth inhibition

Emotional symptoms of being under stress.

nervousness, anxiety

depression, moodiness

"butterflies"

irritability, frustration

memory problems

lack of concentration

trouble thinking clearly

feeling out of control

substance abuse

phobias

overreactions

Okay, so maybe I was suffering from irritability, lack of concentration, weight loss, and depression. So what? It's not like it was affecting anyone but me, right?

Wrong.

I think it was the depression that caught the attention of my teammates. Naruto began to try to tell me jokes all the time. I'll never think of blondes the same way again. Kakashi-sensei forced me to be around Lee for an entire day, so I could "brighten my outlook on life." I think I'm still twitching.

And Sasuke... well he hasn't tried to help. Thank goodness. I really don't like him. He's just so full of himself and withdrawn. How can anyone live like that most of their life and not be insane? It's beyond me.

Well, I can only thank the stars for small favors... right?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Here we'll look in on Sasuke. Evil bastard.)

Sasuke sat brooding in his darkened bedroom. The black curtains brought almost complete darkness during the day, something he enjoyed very much. The ceiling fan whirled in a rhythm that was almost annoying to most, but strangely, it was comforting to the last Uchiha at the moment.

You see, at the this period in time, he was thinking of a certain teammate. No, not Naruto, he didn't swing that way. (NO OFFENSE!) No, he was thinking of a pink-haired, medic-nin, wicked strong teammate. Anyone want to take a guess of who it is?

Yup, that's right. Haruno Sakura.

You see, (in this story) Sakura was one of only girls who had ever resisted him and his girly ways...

A/N: Oh, damn it. Typo. Sorry, what I meant to say was...

...his dark, unresistible Uchiha charm.

Yes, somehow during the few years when they were younger and the resent months after his return from a certain snake-bastard, who's name will not be mentioned in this fic because of all his evilness, he has seen what a good candidate she would be for his baby making scheme, then the entire world would be ruled by the Uchiha family! Tremble in horror!

A/N: Hehe, damn, another typo. Let's try that again...

...He has seen what a good candidate she would be to revive his clan so they would be good citizens.

You see, Sasuke had noticed the strange behavior patterns of Sakura lately, he just really didn't give a shit.

A/N: Darn these stupid typos! Don't worry, that was the last one.

...he just hadn't show his concern.

Sasuke had realized had to make his move soon. He thought that maybe hypnotizing Sakura with the Sharingon that he might make the whole transition thing a lot easier on his part, but nooooo. After the "incident" at the training grounds, he hadn't even been near her!

'Damn Kakashi-sensei and his need to lift me above the others!'

Why couldn't he get paired up with Sakura? He might have even gotten a challenge out of her.

What would he do now? He couldn't try the Sharingon again.

Sasuke slammed his fists onto the wooded desk.

'Damn that redheaded bastard! Who does he think he is? Ruining my only chance at the easy way!'

What could the emo... I mean... misunderstood Sasuke do?

The only thing he could do...

Stalk Sakura...

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Author's notes: I'm sick like no fricken tomorrow, I'm sleep deprived, I have a headache that sounds like techno music in my head, and I don't like this chapter at all. It's too short. Oh well. I feel really bad about not updating, just a lot of stuff has been going on, but you don't want to listen to my excuses, right? Yup, that's what I thought.

Thanks to my awesome reviewers:

Angels-Ramen, Gin-inu, If-This-Disturbes-You-Then-Walk-Away, -Ino-Yamanka-09, LostsoulofRegret, Gina01, Scarlet Thunder19907(I love you!), SilverSimoneLady, StarlitBaby, EKI-ember, Kurenai Chinoumi, .chie.x.sieka., sakurachn, Heartless Ghost(Woot! I kick ass! ), Gaara is mine, Shadow-Ninja-Fay, Alex, Naraku's Phoenix, HarvestMoonRacoon, Kyo-my-Love, inuyashaHELP, RubberDuckiesWhoLikePieAndCake, slaymyheart, Hao'sAnjul, Haru, Sister-of-the-Light, gtkag, liandrin, AsianOne, mylastbreath92, blackharu911, loves-winged-dark-angel, Gaarasgurl98, Puppyeye1, JovianShe-Wolf, SasukesoOoFlower, Gaara's1and0nly.

And before I get my ass flamed for bashing Sasuke, I just want to say, that he's a no good, lying, selfish, chakra wasting, piece of SHIT! (Can you tell I hate Sasuke?)

There, now you can flame me.

Until next time!

blackxheart