"This is good, we know the medicine will still work," Tsunade opened Kakashi's eyes and shined a light in them. "This incident last night however put him in shock; he may feel a little on edge for a few more hours."

"Tsunade, what caused him to react so quickly?"

"Well," Tsunade put her chin in her hand. "The same as last time. The chakra was balanced out enough for Kakashi to release the jutsu. This time, it was just a few seconds of chakra balance, and his body could not return to its old self fully. Eventually, Kakashi gave up on trying to keep his chakra stabilized and he returned to being a cat. Isn't that right Kakashi?"

Yes…

"He's so unresponsive," Sakura sighed.

"You would be too if this happened to you." Tsunade lifted Kakashi off her desk and handed him to Sakura. "Continue to give him the same doses, and prepare for more incidences like this. They will come often. When they do happen, do what you attempted before. Maybe if we give him more of the serum while he's trying to reverse the jutsu, it will help."

"Yes Tsunade."

"I'd love to have you stay, but I have a conference soon."

"Alright, thank you Tsunade…"

Sakura walked out of the office with a very quiet Kakashi.

"Hey Kakashi?"

Yes Sakura?

"Do you want me to get one of your Icha Icha books for you? Maybe it will help you get through this."

Kakashi smiled, it never even hit him that he hadn't touched his books in a total of two days. "Meow," he snuggled closer up to Sakura's chest and closed his eyes in comfort.

"Haha, are you turning soft on me Kakashi?"

Just get me my book please…

"I really do wish that you could stay this way sometimes," Sakura beamed. "Taila does too!"

Maybe for you, but not the dog…

"Your complex is over around this building right?"

Kakashi opened his eye and didn't say anything.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Sakura walked into the building and up the staircase to the hall Kakashi walked down in a huff.

"Which one is your room?"

"Mmm…" Kakashi woke up and pointed his nose towards the only room with no door.

"Is this the door you killed?"

Yes.

"Oh my, your room is quite the mess!" Sakura put a hand to her mouth in amazement. Kakashi surveyed his room. A blue tarp covered the hole in his ceiling and the same chunk of it still lay on his bed. The shelf behind his bed was the same as it had been when it was smashed by the rubble, and the same full buckets occupied the floor.

They didn't do a damn thing! Kakashi squirmed out of Sakura's grip and jumped on his bed.

"Kakashi, what are doing?"

Getting what's left of my personal belongings. He climbed over the sheet rock and plaster and stuck his head in the dust pulling out two mutilated pieces of paper.

"What's that?" Sakura took them from Kakashi's mouth. Barely discernable, Sakura squinted at the faded color prints. "Are these…it's us! And your old team?"

"Meow…"

"They're totally ruined. Oh Kakashi, I'm sorry…"

Me too...and look what else…Kakashi went back to the debris pile and pulled out one of his books which had a piece of ceiling jammed in the cover and went straight through the back.

"Not your book!"

"Meow…mmm…" I know…it's enough to make a grown man cry!

"Well, I guess we'll just have to go without it." Sakura shrugged. "Come on let's go."

As Kakashi and Sakura were leaving they heard a loud rumble and a crash! Looking in they saw a wall missing.

"WHAT THE HELL?"

"MEOW!" My apartment!

"What do you think you're doing?" Sakura cursed at the man in the crane.

"What does it look like I'm doing? This apartment has been condemned! Too many problems! This room hasn't been updated since fifty years ago. It's about to go any minute!" The crane operator shouted back.

Sakura turned back to see Kakashi gaping at the doorway. But this is where I live, and this is where I keep my stuff and this, this is where…I…sleep!

"They could've told you before hand," Sakura picked up Kakashi still gaping and walked down the hall. "The nerve of some people."

"…Me…ow…"

"Hey, I still have those pictures, er, what's left of them."

B-b-but… "My house," Kakashi whimpered.

"It's so weird to hear your voice come from that body Kakashi," Sakura blinked.

"It doesn't last long, just like my apartment."

"I think you're going to end up staying at my house whether you change back or not."

"Yeah."

"That was a depressed 'yeah'," Sakura noticed. "Don't you like my house?"

"Yeah," Kakashi delivered this with the same depressed tone.

"Tsunade will get you a new apartment soon I'm sure." Sakura said trying to lift the mood of the conversation.

"Meow," It only lasts so long.

"That was quick."

Told you. Please just kill me now…talk about self-pity.

At Sakura's house Kakashi didn't eat his dinner, he lost his appetite due to the stinging and tingling he felt from the medicine, and the fact that his space had been torn down. He just sat up and stared at the wall opposite him. About two times within the day he regained his voice for a total of thirty seconds, a good sign that the medicine was working, but this made him all the more frustrated.

"Kakashi, time for your second dose!"

Ugh!

"Open up!" Sakura filled the eye-dropper and squeezed it into Kakashi's mouth.

Euch!

"I wonder what it tastes like." Sakura sniffed the bottle.

Go ahead and try…

"Ew," Sakura crinkled up her nose. "Smells horrible. Should we give some to Taila?"

"Meow!" That would be funny…

"It's just chakra balancer, what could go wrong? Taila, come here and try this!"

Taila came trotting down the stairs.

"Ready, open up your mouth real wide." Sakura tapped his nose and Taila did as asked. She squirted it in the back of his throat and Taila did an odd shimmy and shake that sent him to his water bowl with his tongue hanging out. "Haha!"

Revenge! Kakashi meowed his laughter and the next thing he new he was hanging by his paws on the couch.

"Oh Kakashi!" Sakura pulled him back up. "There, you must be really sore now. You sure you aren't hungry?"

"Meow," Kakashi nodded.

"Okay, it's about eight o'clock so I'll be headed up in a few minutes. Try to sleep well please."

I'll try.

"Well then goodnight," Sakura gave Kakashi the same kiss on the top of the head.

I think my black fur just turned the same shade of red as her curtains. Adjusting his position Kakashi let his mind wander. He didn't even notice Taila lie down on the floor in front of him.

"Woof!"

Huh? Hmph…what are you looking at dog? Kakashi ascended onto the floor and plopped his aching body down next to Taila. If you really want my company that bad, then for just tonight I'll sleep with you. Taila was very pleased with Kakashi's decision to join him and rested his head between his front paws. Kakashi suddenly felt that same lurch of power he did before, and he poofed into human form. Taila was startled by this and started barking.

"No, shh! Taila shut up!" Kakashi tried to calm him down.

"Taila, where's the intruder?" Sakura came flying down the stairs with only her bathrobe on to see Kakashi standing innocently in her living room. "Kakashi!" She tucked her robe in some more.

"Sakura! Hi! Oh sorry I won't look." Kakashi turned his back to Sakura who ran upstairs to change into something more suitable. Kakashi had the same clothes he had on for his check up and his mask was still intact, so he was glad to know he wasn't missing any articles of clothing on his body. "Kakashi, we need to give you your medicine." Sakura said as she came back downstairs.

"Umm…okay…" Kakashi went into the kitchen Taila growling at him.

"Taila, stop that nonsense! Here we go! Alright, open up!" Sakura held out the dropper.

"Do I have to?" Kakashi complained.

"I know it's gross, but you have to take it."

"Ugh," Kakashi started taking off his mask. Sakura didn't seem to care that he was, but when it struck her, she dropped the dropper on the ground. Both her and Kakashi went for it.

Their hands touched and their eyes met. They were stuck in a deadlock gazing into the deep pools in each others eyes.

"Um, here you go," Kakashi laughed nervously handing Sakura the item that brought them together.

"Thanks," Sakura and Kakashi stood back up. "Okay, well let's try this again. Take your mask off."

"Okay," but once again, an opportunity missed. Kakashi fell to the ground gasping for air and grabbing his pounding head. His body gave up and he transformed back into the cat.

"Dammit!" Sakura aggressively placed the medicine bottle on the counter.

You can say that again. "Meow!"

"I guess, we'll have to wait till next time. I'm going back to bed, goodnight." Sakura went back upstairs twisting the cap back on tightly.

Kakashi sighed and just watch Taila give him a look that was pricless.

Kakashi and Sakura sittin' in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G!