Disclaimer: nope, not mine!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, you're awesome! I'm really sorry this took so long, connection problems. Anyway, here's chapter 3, sorry it's so short =)

Chapter 3

Sakura couldn't help but wonder what this boy was doing here all alone. He was so thin and filthy, she was sure he had no home, but why was he like this? Naruto was alone all his life and he was better than ever. Why would anyone not offer to help him?

"Hey, go clean yourself up," Sakura said, handing Sasori a bar of soap and pointing at the stream.

"Yeah, you smell!" Naruto said. Sasori didn't move. If he washed all the dirt off then she would definitely recognise him.

"No, I'm okay," Sasori replied. Sakura's eyes widened, she knew that voice, but she never expected to here it again. The person that voice belonged to was a puppet, a dead puppet. She looked at the boy again, maybe he was also from Suna.

"Naruto, just take him to the stream and make sure he gets cleaned up," Sakura said. Maybe she'd be able to recognise him without all the dirt caked to his skin; having Naruto around was enough, she didn't need another hygienically challenged idiot to take care of, although, she was hoping the boy wasn't an idiot.

Sasori was dragged to the stream by Naruto. There was really nothing he could do about it, he wasn't in the best of conditions physically. Naruto flung him into the water and jumped in after him. Why couldn't he just nudge him into the water gently and follow after him? The Kyuubi kid really was an idiot.

Running away was the first thing Sasori thought of, but he knew he'd be caught and his pride just wouldn't let him. He was still a criminal, feared by many, the puppet master. So he let Naruto scrub him none too gently; ready to face Sakura, the girl who killed him and would probably kill him again, he wished he had at least one puppet to defend himself if that were to happen. Sure he was good at hand to hand combat, but he wasn't a close-range fighter; something Sakura specialised in. He wasn't scared, he was just worried about his body. If Sakura was able to destroy his puppets with only her fists, what would she do to his living body?

Sakura's eyes went wide for the second time that day. The boy before her was - no it couldn't be. Sasori was dead, he was a dead puppet who shouldn't have been alive in the first place; it just wasn't natural, but here he stood, in the flesh (excuse the pun). When did he grow flesh and bone? She shook her head, he couldn't be Sasori. He was nervous around them, as if afraid they might kill him. Sasori had no fear - or any other emotion for that matter.

"What's your name?" Sakura asked the boy as he and Naruto sat beside her.

"Sasori…" he replied. "You don't remember me? You were the brat who helped my grandmother kill me."

Naruto looked between Sakura and Sasori. He couldn't recall ever meeting Sasori before… he looked vaguely familiar, but he just couldn't remember. Maybe he was Gaara's cousin or something, maybe that's why he looked so familiar. He looked between the two again, noticing for the first time that they were no longer seated, instead, they stood facing each other.

"If what you say is true than tell me, how are you standing here? Why aren't you a puppet?" Sakura asked, a kunai raised. She just couldn't believe it, but a part of her knew he was telling the truth.

"I don't know…" Sasori replied.

"Sakura-chan, who is this?" Naruto asked. This was all too confusing.

Sakura glared at her team-mate, how could he not recognise Sasori? He was the one who wanted to kill him and his partner the second he laid his eyes on Gaara's form laying at their feet… oh, she remembered, Sasori was wearing that hideous puppet and a cloak over that. Naruto had never seen him before. Telling Naruto that he was with the Akatsuki wouldn't be wise.

"He is a friend, Naruto."

"But he just said you killed him!"

"How could I have killed him if he's right here?"

"Ehh! He's a zombie out for revenge, I'll protect -" Sakura cut him off with a punch in the face.

"Baka! I'll tell you about it later," she said and dragged Sasori away. She was going to get to the bottom of this, there was no way he could be alive… maybe he was a zombie out for revenge. If that were the case she'd have to aim for his head and - she shook her head again, hanging out with Naruto has melted her brain.

"Okay, talk," she demanded. She could feel the confidence seeping through her pores, or maybe that was just sweat, either way she was becoming more nervous with each minute that passed. Her memories of Sasori weren't pleasant, their first and last meeting, the day she had learnt about his past, the day she had learnt about his abilities, her first real battle, the day she almost died, the day he lost his life, the first time she felt regret for taking an enemy's life; it all happened in one day, but here he stood. Seeing him again… she knew she wouldn't ever see him again, but she had hoped. Now, though… he was a criminal. He had almost killed her. To him, she was just a annoying mosquito. If he had survived that last attack, she wouldn't have been here now. So yes she was nervous.

"I do not have any answers for you," he said. "I was dead and then I was alive."

"What do you want?" Sakura wondered why he was acting so differently, could it really be him?

"I'm searching… I am human again. I have been given a second chance. I haven't returned to kill you."

Sakura closed her eyes, she believed him. It was odd because she'd never ever trust her enemies, but due to unforeseen circumstances… but what was she supposed to do? Was he going to accompany them or would they be parting ways? This was awkward. She knew she couldn't just waltz back into Konoha with a known criminal by her side, but this would also be her last chance to learn more about him. She just had a feeling that there was a reason why they crossed paths again. She just didn't know what that reason was.

The two of them made their way back to camp only to find two Akatsuki members and an unconscious Naruto in the larger one's arms. She blinked and they were gone.

So, that's it for chapter 3. Please leave a review and don't be afraid to tell me how I should improve. I'm not happy with this, but I just can't figure out what is wrong. Any ideas?