OK. These are some important author's notes right here. This is the rough draft version. This chapter had been done for about a month now, but my beta is having computer problems. So, unless someone else wants to beta this for me and gives it back, or my beta fixes her computer, this is the way this chapter will stay. Because I am too lazy to fix it myself. On another note, for anyone who likes Inuyasha, I've been reading the greatest stories. All AU, and inu/kag. Not a pairing I particularly like. At all. But her stories are so great. Her name is Rozefire. Check her out.

"You didn't."

"I did."

"Don't you dare lie to me, Forehead girl, I've had a very stressful day. I had to rearrange a flower arrangement seven times Sakura, SEVEN TIMES, before this fat, old man thought that his blind date would like them. I was like, 'old man, you should be more worried about her liking YOU!'"

Ino's hands were supporting her body as she slammed them down on the counter, panting heavily and sweating hard from her outburst. It had obviously been very, very stressful.

"I swear I'm not lying, I was most definitely in a lip lock with Naruto last night." Said an also slightly sweaty Sakura.

They were standing in Ino's family's flower shop, it was empty and all the doors and windows were open, in a desperate attempt to try and get some cool air to waft in. Which was failing miserably. It was so stifling hot and unbearably humid in the tiny store that anyone unfortunate to even walk past the door or crouch on the roof trying to hear what was happening through the window instantly broke out in sweat.

Which is where Gaara found himself at three pm on a perfectly inconspicuous Tuesday. "Inconspicuous in absolutely no way. Three pm? Why wasn't Sakura at work? And why the hell was she bragging about her infidelity to that blond girl?"

"Wow, Sakura. And after only one night of staying there. I think this calls for a ladies night out."

"Ladies night? I don't know…"

"Don't know? What's there to know? I'll gather up Tenten and Hinata and we'll party the night away!"

"Hinata? You can't invite her! We're celebrating me kissing the boy she's spent her entire life loving. Don't you think that's jus too cruel—"

"She'll be happy for you, get over yourself."

"But—"

"No buts, we're going. Tonight"

"I have work, I can't possibly have a hangover to tomorrow."

"You're a medic-nin, figure it out."

"Bu—"

"OUT. I'll pick you up at 8. Make sure you eat."

And with that, Sakura was forcibly shoved out of the store and into the sun. She shielded her eyes with her hand and looked around her… Something felt… off.

Gaara had had just enough time to whip his head back over the awning before she had suddenly looked in his direction.

With one more wary look around she started down one of the many cobblestone paths in Konoha, and abruptly stopped.

'Ok, Sakura, Ladies Night Out. This will be fun. Good ol' girl time. Chatting and gossiping and consuming alarming amounts of alcohol. Yes, this will be great. Amazing. Hip. Jive. Fresh.

This is going to suck. So very, very badly. That gossiping? Going to be all about my promiscuous ways. And mostly slaps on the back and 'Good job, girl' and 'I always knew you had it in you'. Not how I wanted to spend a Tuesday night. Who parties on Tuesdays anyways? That's a bad day. I have work tomorrow. I swear, Ino has no respect for other people's schedules. The youth of today, horrible.

Oh gods. I did not just say that. It's decided. I need to get drunk. Badly. Clothes. I need some clothes. All of my things are still at my old apartment, I can't go there, Gaara might be home, I don't think he's on a mission right now… But I don't think I want to risk it.

Inventory. I have two shirts, one tee, one button down, and a pair of jeans. No going to cut it. Time to go shopping. Poor Ino-pig, missing out on valuable shop until you feel better time.'

Gaara sat on top of the awning for another nine minutes and 27 seconds while Sakura just stood there staring at a fishmonger. She finally shook her head, and started on her way, going the opposite direction in which she had started. When she turned around, Gaara got an unhindered view of her face. She looked deranged with that demonic smile plastered on. 'What's going through that head of yours, Sakura?'

Gaara knew that spending the rest of the day spying on your girlfriend that may or may not have broken up with you is usually bad form, but he couldn't help it. He had to know where she was. He was able to justify himself. 'She's not paying attention to where's she's going! She could be attacked, or abducted! Just because she's a kunoichi doesn't mean that she can't be beaten down by a thug when she's as oblivious as she was.'

And those justifications were even true. Sakura had entered the 'All The Clothes Fit And Look Good On Me And My Butt Looks So Hot In That Skirt And I'm So Fine' stage of shopping that happens to so few people so few times in their life. She was disgustingly happy. She had purchased bags upon bags of new clothes. Which she really did need, she would have bought them if she were still with Gaara, her closet was long over due for a rummage sale.

She made her way back to Naruto's with some difficulty. Many people were just starting to get off of work, and navigating through the masses while your hands are full of bags and boxes is not an easy task. She was finally up the stairs and rummaging through her purse trying to find the key when Naruto opened the door from the inside.

"Oh hey, what timing, help me with these bags."

"Oh, sure."

And when their hands met, she remembered the kiss the night before and then the awkward blushes and the hasty good night. She remembered trying not to move in bed so that they wouldn't inadvertently touch. 'How could I have forgotten? Shopping haze. It must have been that. How else could someone just forget something like last night? It must have been one of the most embarrassing nights of my life. Rivaling only that time I got drunk and hit on Kakashi. But I don't actually remember that. But there are pictures, and I have a sneaking suspicion that that might be worse.'

"Oh ah… Naruto, ah, is there a dresser or a closet that I could, ah, possibly…?" She left the question hanging; it was so difficult looking him in the eyes. A little left of the neck. That was a good, safe place to stare.'

"Um. Yeah. I through some clothes that are old on the floor, so make room for some of your stuff. Did you, ah, buy all new clothes?"

"Well, kinda. I plan on getting some things from my old apartment, but I'm going out with Ino and some other, ah um, girls tonight. So I, ah, needed some kisses. CLOTHES. I, ah, needed some clothes. New ones. A dress.

They were slowly progressing to the bedroom, as they talked, Naruto holding the door open for her as she stumbled in and realized that she was in hell. Sakura couldn't believe her eyes as she pivoted on her heel in the middle of Naruto's bedroom. The place was a disaster area.

'I spent hours cleaning this earlier today. The whole house actually.'

"Um, Naruto, how long have you been home?"

"Oh, I, ah, got home 'bout half and hour ago, because I thought you might like some room, right?"

'Half an hour. Who can possibly make such a mess in half an hour? Well, Naruto, obviously.'

"That's very, um, thoughtful, Naruto, thanks. I'll just start taking the tags off and washing these, and I'll help you fold your cloths and put them in garbage bags."

"Garbage bags? I'm donating these! Someone else will appreciate these and wear them just like me!" Naruto was blazing in self-righteous dignity.

"I know you plan on donating them, but, ah, you put them in the bags so that you can carry them. You know, to the place. That takes them."

"Oh, really? I usually just grab a heap and run 'em over"

"…You would do that, wouldn't you?"

"I… yeah."

"Where do you keep your scissors? I'm going to go cut the tags off now."

"Scissors? Hmm. I don't think I have any, actually."

"YOU DON'T HAVE… Never mind, that's fine; I'll just try to rip them off. It's thin plastic, it might work."

"I could help…"

"I think you should start folding."

"Oh, you're probably right."